“So, just for interest’s sake, have you transformed anything besides your Comm Crystal?”

  Malik looked a little guilty and muttered, “I… converted my PS5 and a few other electronics into a Gaming Crystal.”

  I smiled. “No need to be embarrassed. I made a crystal to watch movies, and Claire made one for music. Just make sure you keep growing. The Kobolds get stronger as we level up. I also made a training crystal — you can fight Kobolds in a safer setting, and you don’t die permanently.”

  He didn’t look thrilled. “You die in the simulation? That does not sound good.”

  “It’s not a nice feeling at all,” I admitted, “but it’s still better to die in a simulation than in real life.”

  He took a moment to think it over before nodding slowly. “That’s true… And the simulation could be a good idea. I could even combine it with my gaming setup…”

  “Claire’s a rogue too,” I said. “She could help you set up something like she has. You exchanged contact details, right?”

  “Of course. I’ll talk to her.”

  We talked a little longer, but I still needed to kill at least one more Kobold, and I didn’t want to be late for my meeting with Claire.

  Before I left, I told Malik he could call me anytime if he needed anything. I kept it simple — just that we were all in this together and looking out for each other made things a little less terrifying.

  He seemed genuinely relieved at that.

  I was barely a block away when another Level 6 Kobold appeared on my Mini Map. I figured I’d use the same tactics as before… but sometimes things just don’t go to plan.

  The Kobold suddenly turned — for no reason at all — and locked eyes with me.

  Damn.

  It didn’t take even a heartbeat to adjust. It lunged into a full sprint toward me before I could properly react.

  I had to move, or I was going to get hurt — badly.

  I managed to sidestep at the last second and cast Stun. The duration was short, but so was the mana cost — small mercies.

  As it froze, I stepped in and bashed it. The moment it hit the ground, I unleashed Sapping Bolt, letting the damage tick while I put a little distance between us.

  It struggled, injured but not out, and I knew I had to push the advantage while I had one.

  I followed up with a volley of Mana Slashes.

  “Loot.”

  “Fuck. Not again.”

  I hated losing loot I’d earned, but… what could I do? I growled under my breath, closed my eyes, and forced myself to let it go. There was no point trying to fight something as powerful as the System — if the System was even a being at all.

  I shook off the irritation and headed toward the place where I was supposed to meet Claire.

  I arrived a little early and waited, not really thinking about anything at all—just letting the quiet settle. My Comm Crystal buzzed, and when I looked up, her smiling face appeared. I wasn’t sure when it happened, but meeting Claire had somehow become the best part of my day.

  “Hi,” she said. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. And I met Malik this morning. He seems like a solid kid… even if he’s not that much younger than us.”

  Sixteen felt a lot younger to me, but I wisely kept that thought to myself.

  “I met him earlier too,” she said. “I agree, he’s really nice. He said he’d contact you about helping him build a simulation. He’s a rogue—though I’m sure you already knew that.”

  She giggled softly. “Yeah, he mentioned it. I’ll be happy to help him.”

  “I’m one Level 6 Kobold away from leveling up,” I said. “So maybe this afternoon… or tomorrow.”

  “Nice. I already gave up trying to catch up to you. Slow and steady works fine for me.”. “I’ll do my quest tomorrow and then…” She made a sweeping gesture “…straight to Level 7.”

  “Sounds about right. What’s the second part of your quest?”

  “Something called the Runestone Foundation Quest. And I think it’s like yours. A scavenger hunt, but all inside one building—floor by floor, finding clues and whatever else the System decides to hide.”

  I nodded. “Oh—I got a rare Knowledge Shard, but… I don’t know who to ask about.”

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  Claire’s expression softened into a thoughtful frown. “That’s a tough one. Who are you most worried about?”

  I thought for a moment before answering. “My mom and dad are solid. I think they’d be okay. My sister Lila is only seventeen, but Malik is sixteen and he’s doing fine… so I honestly don’t know.”

  “Do you have other family?” she asked. “Grandparents you’d want to check on? Or close friends?”

  “My one grandfather passed away years ago, but the other grandparents are all alive. I’m… not really worried about them. Okay, I am worried, but they’d revert to earlier ages and they’re all badasses.”

  I took a slow breath, nodded to myself, and pulled out the Rare Knowledge Shard.

  “I wish to enquire the status of my sister, Lila Harper.”

  “I think we’re going to need a lot of Rare Knowledge Shards,” Claire murmured.

  I nodded. “Yeah. Definitely.”

  A quiet warmth settled in my chest. My sister was alive. I didn’t know where exactly, or how she was coping, but she was alive. I could only hope she had neighbors like Claire or Jason or Malik — people who’d help her the way we were helping each other.

  “I’m thankful she’s okay,” I said softly.

  We fell into silence after that, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I kept thinking about my family and friends — wondering when I’d see them again, if I ever would. Claire probably had the same thoughts weighing on her.

  The conversation never really picked back up after that. A few minutes later, we decided to call it a day. I wished her good luck for tomorrow and asked her to contact me as soon as she finished her quest.

  I considered killing another Kobold to level up but dismissed the idea almost immediately. My inventory was full, and I didn’t want to risk losing more loot. I needed to use some of my shards to free up space. In the back of my mind, I mentally sorted through everything crammed into my slots.

  Still, I made sure not to get too lost in thought — my eyes stayed glued to the Mini Map. I wasn’t going to get blindsided again.

  I could use the Spell+ token, and I still had two Advanced Expansion Shards. Using both would open two more inventory slots for tomorrow. I also had one rare Transformation Shard sitting unused.

  Once I got home, I showered and ate dinner while thinking about what I could even transform with that shard… and came up blank. Fine. That one could wait.

  After cleaning up, I focused on the Expansion Shards instead. The moment one of them touched my skin, a System message appeared.

  Yes.

  I fully absorbed the apartment next to me, but no other area was available yet, so the extra expansion went into reserve. That was good…

  Yes.

  A round blue crystal materialised in my hand, humming softly with contained mana.

  And of course — more System messages popped up immediately.

  I stared at the crystal in my hand. It did not look Pupil-shaped, and where is the viewing facet…

  Maybe it is broken.

  I shrugged and walked down the stairs to the front door of my building. The crystal split in two, the larger piece unfolding into a hovering, pupil-shaped shard. It stayed crystalline, but its smooth facets angled just enough to give the impression of an iris.

  It turned toward me first, watching with a steady, quiet attention. Not aggressive—just aware—like it was taking a quick measure of me before settling into its role. The stare made me tense for a heartbeat, but it never crossed into anything threatening.

  I shrugged again and headed back toward my apartment. Behind me, the smaller crystal drifted along like a quiet, obedient fragment of light. When I reached my door, it floated into place and pressed itself gently against the wall—anchoring there without sound or glow, almost disappointingly inert.

  I leaned closer.

  Nothing.

  I waved a hand in front of it.

  Still nothing.

  With a sigh, I reached out and laid my fingers on its surface—

  And that was all it needed.

  The crystal warmed under my touch, and a soft shimmer unfolded in the air, projecting a small, square window of light. The image sharpened instantly into a clear view of the outside hallway, taken from the hovering eye’s exact perspective. I could see everything it watched, every empty corner and shifting shadow. It was like looking through a stable, floating camera—except made of mana and crystal instead of wires and lenses.

  “Well… okay then,” I muttered.

  So it did work. Just needed a little encouragement.

  I let the projection fade and stepped back, feeling the system settle into place around me.

  Alright.

  On to the Spell + Token.

  I make myself comfortable and took out the Token.

  The System had been offering Mana Bolt every time, and to be honest, it was starting to wear me down.

  “Spell,” I muttered in a resigned tone.

  With a fleeting, half-annoyed thought — hoping the System was finally satisfied now that I’d taken the bloody Mana Bolt — I let myself drift off to sleep.